Apple!

Charlotte started saying "ha det" a while back (Norwegian for good-bye) but it has taken months for any other words to come out. She just started saying "apple" and it sounds more like "ahhh-poo?" since her voice goes up at the end. She climbs up on a stool then summits a neighboring chair to declare victory over the fruit bowl. It is hard not to give her a piece of apple when she holds it in her hand and says "ahh-poo?"

She is saying "pappa" too but no "mamma!"

Blankets

It is so cozy in Norway, especially when it is cold. The restaurants and cafes still use their outdoor seating, but they embellish it with heat lamps and thick blankets on every chair. When you walk the streets you can see people cuddling up with a coffee and a blanket wrapped around them, or enjoying a meal al fresco with a blanket across their lap.

Lamb, walks, doors, wine, movies

What have we been up to?

Going for walks in the evening and enjoying the fresh smell of Autumn air, the clear blue skies, and the colorful Fall leaves.

Fixing up the house - we got new doors! Nils was not so happy that all trim and moulding is different for every room and not so attractive. The doors were different too throughout the house and many were stained and damaged and too thin to muffle any sound. So, we are starting to put new doors in! I admire Nils handiwork.

Had a fun wine and cheese party with some friends. We had wines from South Africa, California, Chile, Spain, and Italy. We can highly recommend Waterstone Merlot (I was surprised I liked a Merlot!), Santa Rita Carmenere, and Cape Peak. As for cheese, must try thin slices of manchego drizzled with olive oil, toasted pine nuts and basil leaves.

Borrowing DVDs from friends - it has been cheesy comedy mostly (Blades of Glory and Wild Hogs) and next on the list is Blood Diamond and Wedding Crashers. Any suggestions for good movies that are a year old? The new DVDs in America will not be here yet for six months.

Eating the traditional Fall food in Norway - får i kål. It is easy to make! Take a big pot, put fatty but good lamb pieces in the bottom, layer with wedges of cabbage, whole peppercorns, more lamb, more cabbage, more peppercorns, some salt, etc. Put in some water (about an inch or two), put a lid on, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for four hours. Yum!

This one is for Lindsay, Bonnie, and Bob!

I miss my family. Thought you three should know. Hugs, hugs, and more hugs from me to you.

The smell of fresh baked bread

This smell can be found many places in Norway. Bread is such a food staple. Fish is too, but I have to say I find the aroma of fresh baked bread slightly more tempting. You will smell fresh bread in many homes, restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, grocery stores, and... gas stations. Yes, gas stations. Do not underestimate the Norwegian gas station! Not to mention being the only place to shop on Sundays, gas stations here offer fresh baked bread and pastries daily. You can read my former entry about the award-winner bolle baker at the Voss gas station for confirmation.

Høstjakta er i gang!

Making up for lost time. Here comes more from us. Make sure you catch the entry below though, since I made two entries today for October 13th.

Commute - funny that Nils works at a place that is about 45 minutes from where we live. I work at a place that is the opposite direction (toward the City) about 10 minutes from where we live. But, with traffic heading into Oslo, it ends up taking us both 45 minutes to get to work!

Høstjakta - I heard this a lot as soon as Summer was over. It means Fall Hunt, which in Norway means lots of things. First and foremost, it means going out in nature and hunting. Moose is the big target. It has come to mean other things too (as far as I have concluded from asking around). It is used a lot in marketing, for example. Stores advertise that it is Høstjakta! There are discounts and special seasonal clothes and things on sale. Then, at work we have Høstjakta too. I am not sure what the work context is. Maybe just that it is that time of year to have a new focus, or to have a Fall party! And 'høstjakta er i gang!' means that the fall hunt is underway.

(Tooth)brush my hair

I like how Charlotte thinks. We introduced a new little pink toothbrush to her a couple weeks ago. It started as a nuisance, but then once she got to hold it and play with it, it became more fun. But, when given a baby hair brush to play with at the same time, it suddenly became evident that in her young mind, a brush is a brush! She began tooth-brushing her hair and hair-brushing her teeth. Okay I guess as long as the hair doesn't become dental floss. And when she starts toothbrushing my hair it has gone too far. But, she now helps me brush my hair in the morning with an adult brush. That is just the best way to start my day!

She is now feeding herself a little bit with a spoon, and picking up bites of adult food on her own. She loves to take a whole plum or apple and gnaw on it for a while. She eats almost the whole thing sometimes. As soon as she turned one, she figured out how things fit together. She loves to put the cap on her bottle when she is done, and she sits at her little table stacking and re-stacking cups. She smiled with pure pride yesterday when she discovered how to put the cap on her marker!

Mamma? Still not much talking though! When I say 'Charlotte can you say Mamma?' She replies with a smile and says 'Daaaa - deee!' Fine with me as long as that is whose name she calls in the middle of the night, right?